This Day In Naval History: August 8

1860 - Screw frigate USS San Jacinto, commanded by Capt. William M. Armstrong, captures the American slaver Storm King with 619 slaves on board, off the Congo River. A prize crew from the steam frigate sailed the captured slaver to Monrovia and turned 616 freed Negroes over to the United States agent there before proceeding to Norfolk with the prize.

1861 - During the Civil War, the frigate USS Santee commanded by Capt. Eagle captured the schooner C.P. Knapp in the Gulf of Mexico.

1863 - During the Civil War, the screw steam gunboat, USS Sagamore, commanded by Lt. Cmdr. English, seizes British sloop, HMS Clara Louisa, off Indian River, Fla. Later the same day, Lt. Cmdr. English captures British schooners, HMS Southern Rights and HMS Shot, and Confederate schooner, CSS Ann, off Gilberts Bar.

1924 - USS Shenandoah (ZR 1) secures herself to the mooring mast on USS Patoka (AO 9), making the first use of the mooring mast erected on shipboard to facilitate airship operations with the fleet.

1933 - Commander, Aircraft Battle Force, requests the authority to use variable-pitch propellers during forthcoming exercises on six Boeing F4B-4s of VF 3 based on board USS Langley (CV 1) and on one (F4B 4) of (VF 1) on board USS Saratoga (CV 3).

1987 - USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) is commissioned at Lockheed Shipyard, Seattle, Wash. The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship is named for Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Md., the fort for which its 1814 defense inspired Francis Scott Key to write the lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner.


(Source: Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division)